


Nature's Man

by monkeyfish



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Gen, Hiking, Turk banter, Turks (Compilation of FFVII), Turks at work, feelgood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:53:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24295408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkeyfish/pseuds/monkeyfish
Summary: A Turk could handle a bloody hike. Or so he had thought. Rude stopped a little ahead and looked back at him, holding the straps of his backpack.“You alright?”“Yeah”, he breathed, unconvincingly.He had given up hiding his wheezing half an hour ago, and exhaled sharply with his response. His backpack was digging into his shoulders.He heard Elena snigger up ahead, but had no breath left for a snide retort.--------------Reno is really not a hiking kinda guy...A little drabble of some everyday Turk work, inspired by bouncymouse's Lockdown shorts.
Kudos: 8





	Nature's Man

He had never been one for hiking.

He liked cars, helicopters, to a certain degree motorbikes. Something that could get him from A to B without much effort. Not walking. It was the slowest method of transport.

Walking up the m.o.u.n.t.a.i.n.s. of all things. How the hell did they convince him to do this?

He was falling behind the group, his head feeling dizzy, his lungs not providing enough air. He didn’t want to admit it, though. A Turk could handle a bloody hike. Or so he had thought.

Rude stopped a little ahead and looked back at him, holding the straps of his backpack.

“You alright?”

“Yeah”, he breathed, unconvincingly.

He had given up hiding his wheezing half an hour ago, and exhaled sharply with his response. His backpack was digging into his shoulders.

He heard Elena snigger up ahead, but had no breath left for a snide retort.

Tseng was, as suspected, taking the lead up the steep hill. The man didn’t seem to be even  _ slightly  _ affected by the inclined hike. 

“Keep up, Reno” he yelled, prompting Rude to keep going.

The forest around them provided excellent cover for where they were going. Reno had never been there before, but apparently it was a popular viewing point on warm summer days, with an excellent view into the city.

Of course, this hike was not for fun, nor was it a warm summer day. The weather was cloudy and glum, the air crisp.

Reno failed to see why they couldn’t just do the assassination up close and personal, as usual. Or better yet, take the lovely helicopter up to the viewing point and have Elena shoot the guy after they landed.

Tseng had made it clear that the President wanted there to be absolutely no trails leading back to them, so they had come up with an arrangement that would ensure the Turks had good alibi for the assassination. This unfortunately did  _ not _ include an easily identifiable Shinra helicopter.

To conduct their “project”, they had to hike for an hour up to this place, and only at a certain angle, with the right wind direction and at the right time, could a sniper rifle hit the guy straight in the head sitting in his office a few miles away. 

Elena was to do the shot, as she was the newest addition to their group. Reno was glad he hadn’t volunteered, as the way his rasping breathing and shaking hands were sure to screw up the shot. 

Why hadn’t he eaten before they started again? His mind couldn’t... OH! Right.

He had been drinking. With…. Rude?

He stopped, holding a tree to keep himself upright, squinting towards Rude.

Yeah, Rude had definitely been there. Rude had also been the one to knock on his door at 6 this morning, scaring the shit out of him. Reno had thrown a glass half-full of whiskey at the door in his initial shock at the harsh knocking.

_ That glass was cheap but they whiskey wasn’t. What a waste. Rude owes me. _

He wanted to tell Rude off, but still had no energy to form a sentence.

He drank another sip from his water bottle, which was unfortunately full of….water.

Reno had always thought he was in good shape, but had to admit to himself that proving you were fit was  _ not _ something you could do at 7 in the morning after a full night of drinking, and minimal sleep.

He put one leg in front of the other, focusing on his feet instead of the incline they were still climbing. 

“Hey, Reno! I can see the top, come on!” Elena’s voice rang, finding its way down to him.

If she could just. stop. screaming. His head was killing him, and every time he looked up, he felt like he would faint.

A good ten minutes later, Reno caught up to the others on the top, and slumped onto a large rock, grateful for being done walking. 

They had already propped up the bipod at their designated spot, and were assembling the massive rifle, picked out of the different backpacks. Reno’s backpack had the bullets. 

It was as if they knew he would arrive last. Strange.

He couldn’t be bothered to think about it, and threw the backpack gently over to Rude, then emptying half his water from his bottle into his mouth. His legs were shaking, his head buzzing. 

Damn, he was out of shape. When was the last time he actually used the company gym?

They were all doing their job in silence, and Reno took a moment to enjoy the view.

It was pretty here. Pretty useless for him to be here, but oh well. He would get paid at the end of the day.

He didn’t really remember, nor care, who the target was. All he knew was that the President didn’t want him alive, and so his top men had been put on the case. They had been laying breadcrumbs for weeks about other “enemies” who wanted this guy dead, building up alibis and setting different stakeholders up against one another. This was the final blow, the cherry on top, done deal.

Elena laid down on the ground with the rifle stable on the bipod, closing one eye to aim.

“Fifty gil says it’s the secretary that finds him”, Reno said to no one in particular.

“Double that, it will be the wife”, Rude replied.

“Why would she be present at his work this early, yo? If it was me, I’d be in bed for another hour.”

“I have a hunch.”

“I’ll take that bet, but I say it’s his assistant, and Reno takes my write-up for this if I win”, Elena chimed in, utterly still behind the rifle.

Tseng lifted an amused eyebrow from his PHS, and looked at the two men, waiting for their response.

Reno smirked.

“Aye, but if I win, you take my write-ups for a week.”

“Deal.”

Tseng threw a glance at his wrist-watch. 

“Three minutes.”

“Yes, sir.”

Rude took a seat next to Reno, looking out at the view. 

“You look horrible.”

“Thanks, man. I’m starting to realise it is your fault for taking us to the Wall Market.”

Rude smiled.

“Thought you could use it. Although, you’re not holding your liquor very well these days.”

“Yo, they’re not using  _ real _ liquor down there. My body is made for  _ qua-li-ty _ booze. Not that shit.”

Rude sniggered slightly.

“I was fine.”

“Yeah, well, you’re an oaf, dude.”

They both smiled.

A loud gunshot sounded, even with the silencer, a few birds took flight, and Elena’s body was pushed back a little by the rifle.

The three men all waited in silence. Elena kept looking through the scope for a minute.

“Rude wins.”

Tseng made a smile and typed something on his PHS.

“What! What the hell was the wife doing there at -”, Reno looked at the time on his own PHS, “- 7:24 in the morning!”

Rude stood up and started helping Elena putting away the equipment in their backpacks again.

“She was worried he was having an affair with the secretary - ”

“He was”, Elena supplemented.

“ - and today he had booked the morning meeting with just the two of them. She wanted to catch them in the act.”

“She would have.”

“Hurry up, we need to head back”, Tseng said idly.

“I’ve been investigating her movements for a while”, Rude finished.

Reno tsk-ed and lent a hand to the packing. They all had their backpacks on within a few minutes, and Reno had another mouthful from his water bottle.

“You might want to save that, we’re walking the same way back.”

Reno stopped what he was doing, and nearly threw his bottle at Tseng.

Where was the helicopter pick-up that he had been sure was coming!? His jelly legs wouldn’t be able to walk for another HOUR back that way.

Tseng caught Reno staring and teased;

“If you spend less time going back than you did coming up here, I’ll make sure your payment is partly liquid.”

Reno had heard enough, and led the descent with renewed strength.


End file.
